Sostenuto control



Sept 8, 1931 J. H, HAMMOND, JR

SOSTENUT CONTROL Filed Nov. 1 2. 1929 Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR., OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS SOSTENUTO CONTROL The invention relates to a musical instrument and more particularly to an instrument of the percussive type such as a piano.

This invention as specifically applied to a piano provides an improved sostenuto action in which any dampers which are released subsequent to the actuation of said sostenuto action are sustained in their released position independently of the actuations of the correspending keys.

The invention also provides means whereby the dampers can be released from co-operative association with said sostenuto action and connected to a standard damper pedal action.

According; to a concrete exemplification of the present invention a damper control means is provided by means of which the entire group of dampers kmay be operatively connected to either the improved sostenuto action or a standard damper pedal action. This sostenuto action comprises a catch member secured to each damper and detent member positioned in response to the actuation of the said damper control means into co-operative u relationship with said catch member. This detent member can be positioned thereby with respect to the catch member, so as to permit the .disengagement of the individual dampers. fHowever, it also effects the eo-operan tion of said members so as to prevent the restoration of the said dampers.

`When the damper control means is associated with said improved sostenuto action, the dampers can only be released in response to the actuation of the corresponding keys, so that the dampers of any notes which are not struck will not consequently be disturbed. In this manner the sympathetic vibration of any strings that are not struck will be prevented and any discordant effect obviated thereby.

rllhe invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which F ig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a piano mechanism embodying this invenion.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation, partly in section of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a. section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the dra-wings. f

. In the following description and in the i claims parts will be identified by specific names for convenience but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the system is applied to a piano, the keys 10 of which are pivotally mounted upon a support 11, carried by the framework 12 of the piano. The key 10 is provided with L an adjustable screw 13 which co-operates n with a standard piano action 14, the striking hammer of which is indicated at 15. The rear of the key 1() (zo-operates with a member 16, which is pivoted at 17 to a block 18, carried Y by a cross member 20.y which is supported on 39 the framework of the piano 12.

Pivoted to the member 16 is a member 21. Pivoted to the member 21 is an arm 22 which is held in the position shown by means of a spring 23. On the arm 22 is mounted a 8" felt pad 24, which co-operates with a second felt pad 25 mounted on the member 21. Mounted adjacent to the arm 22 is a flattened rod 25, which is rotated through 90 by means of the standard sostenuto pedal action. Rigidly secured to the member 21 is a rod 26, which has a bearing in a longitudinal bar 27, and upon the top of which is secured a damper 28, acting upon the string 29. Pivoted to the bar 27 is a detent member in the form of a movable bar 30, which at suitable times co-operates with a spring catch member 31 mounted on a collar 32, which is secured by a screw 33 to the rod 26. Pivoted to the bar 30 is a link 35, the other end of which is pivoted to a rod 36. This rod 36 has a beai-,

ing in the frame 12 and also in a pedal block 37 which is carried from the trame 12 by vertical posts 38. Rigidly secured to the rod 36 is a collar 50 which serves as an abutment for one end of a coil spring 48, the other end of which presses against the frame 12.

A rod 45 has bearings in the pedal block 37 and in the frame work 12. Rigidly secured to the rod 45 is a collar 46 which serves as an abutment for one end of a coil spring 47 the other end of which presses against the frame 12.

The upper end of the rod 45 engages an arm 51 which is pivoted at 52 to the frame 12. This arm carries at its free end a bar 53 covered with felt or other suitable material 54. The bar 53 extends the i'ull width of the piano and is supported by a suitable number of arms similar to -51 which are pivoted tothe frame of the piano.

The end of the rod 36 as shown rests on the end of a damper control member such as pedal 40 which is pivotally mounted on a U shaped member 41 which in turn is pivotally mounted in the pedal block 37. A lug 43 is located adjacent the end ot the pedal 40. VSpring 42 is positioned between the member 41and the pedal 40 so that this end of the pedal is normally positioned below the lug 43. This pedal can be rotated about its pivot point and made to slide alongr either side of the luier .upon the depression of the pedal.. In this manner the pedal can beselectively positioned in -co-operative relationship with either the rod 45 or the rod 36. It should be observed that .this lue also acts as a detent by prevent-ing the shifting of the pedal from one operative position to another when depressed.

In the operation of the form ot the invention shown in the accompanying figures, when the pedal is in the position shown by the dotted .lines in Fig. 3 and is therefore operating the rod the piano may `be nl a ved in the usual way by striking` the keys .10 which actuate the corresponding piano vaction 14. to cause the hammer 15 to strike the `correspending strinf,Y 29. When a kev 10 is depressed it ene-ages the corresponding member 16 .thereby elevating the .da-m per 28 which remains elevated as long as the key 10 is de pressed. hen this kev is released i-t drops back into the position shown .in 1 allowing the member 16 and the damper 28 to be returned to their initial positions. thereby damping the string .29. Then it is desired to use the damper pedal action the pedal 40 is positioned with co-operative relationship with rod 45 van d depressed, thereby elevating .this Vrod 45 which rotates the arm 51. This action lifts the bar 53 which in turn lifts all of the members 1G thereby raising all of the dampers 28, so that when the keys 10 are struck the corresponding strings 29 will be allowed to vibrate after the keys 10 have been released. Vhen the pressure on the foot pedal 40 is released the rod 45 will move downwardly under the action of the spring 47 which allows the bar to drop back to the position shown in Fig. 1. This causes all ot' the dampers 28 to rest upon the corresponding strings 29 thus damping any of the strings which may be vibrating at that time.

When it is desired to use the standard sostenuto action a group of keys are struck, thus raising the individual dampers of each of' their strings. The standard sostenuto pedal not shown) is then depressed, thus rotating the bar 25 through 90o to the position shown in dotted lines. This bar 25 will then lie under the arms 22 of all the notes which have been struck, thus holding the dampers et these notes away from the corresponding lstrings .29. These dempers will remain away from the strings after the keys 1() have been released. Any of the keys which are :sow struck atter the standard sostenuto pedal has been depressed will cause their dampers 2S .to be elevated in the usual manner. As they do so, the arms 22 .strike the under surface of the rod .25 which causes these arms to be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction against the action of the spring 23. When these keys are released their dampers are allowed to fall back upon the string 29, as the bar 25 does not hold up the corresponding armv 22. When the standard sostenuto pedal is released, it will allow the bar 25 to be rotated to its original position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, thus releasing the arms 22v of the notes originally struck before the standard sostenuto pedal was depressed. This will allow the dampers 28 of these notes to fall back upon the corresponding strings 29.

Itis thus seen that in the standard sostenuto control by vstriking a group of notes like a cord and then depressing the standard sostenuto pedal that the dampers of these notes will be held up as long as this pedal is depressed. but that the dampers of any notes struck subsequently to this action will only he held up long as the corresponding key is depressed.

l.lVhen it is desired to bring into play the individual action. the pedal 40 is rotated about the pivotal `avis ot the member 4l into the pesition shown .in full lines in Fig. 3. lVhen the pedal is now depressed, it Will elevate the rod I36 which, by vmeans of the link will rotate the har 30 into the position shown in tull lines in Fig. 1. When a. key 10 struck, it will as previously described, lift the corresponding member 16 and the damper 28. As the rod 26 moves upwardly carrying the collar 32 and the spring 31 with it, this spring will snap over the bar 30. However, the bar 30 will act as a detent and hold this particular damper 28 away from the corresponding string 29, after the key 10 has been released, thus allowing the individual string to vibrate. In this way, any key 10 which may be struck will cause its corresponding damper 28 to be elevated and kept so by means of the engagementof the corresponding spring 31, with the bar 30. This allows these individual strings to vibrate until the pressure on the pedal 40 has been released, at which time the rod 36 will be moved downwardly under the action of the spring 48 thus moving the bar 30 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This will release all the springs 31 which may at that time be resting upon this bar and will allow all the dampers 2S to drop to the initial position shown in Fig. 1, thus damping any of the strings which may be vibrating` at that time.

In this way it is seen that when the individual action is operated the damper of any note which may be struck will be raised and held in an elevated position until the pedal is released but the dampers of all the other notes which have vnot been struck will not be raised but will rest upon their corresponding strings.

This will prevent the strings which have not been actuated from vibrating in sympathy with any of the strings which may have been struck.

While certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it `vill be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a musical stringed instrument the combination comprising` a plurality of keys, a corresponding plurality of strings and a corresponding plurality of dampers vtor said strings, means for releasing anyone of said. dampers in response to the actuation of the corresponding keys, a damper control means, means responsive to the actuation of said control means for sustaining the disengagement of any dampers released subsequent to the initial actuation of said control means.

2. In a musical instrument of the percussive type, the combination comprising a plurality of keys, a corresponding plurality of strings and a corresponding` plurality of dampers for said strings, means for releasing anyone of said dampers in response to the actuation of the correspondingl keys, a damper control means. means responsive to the actuation of said control means for sustaining the disengagement of any dampers released subsequent to the initial actuation of said control means.

3. In a musical instrument of the percussive type, a plurality of strings, a plurality of dampers for said strings, means for releasing said dampers from engagement with said strings, catch members secured to said dampers, detent members positioned in such co-operative relationship with said catch members so that said detent members permit the release of said dampers but prevent the restoration of the said released dampers.

4. In a musical string instrument a plurality of strings, a plurality of dampers for said strings, means for releasing said dampers from engagement with said strings, catch members secured to said dampers, detent members positioned in such co-operative relationship with said catch members so that said detent members permit the release of said dampers but prevent the restoration of the said released dampers.

5. In a musical instrument of the percussive type, a plurality of strings, a corresponding plurality of dampers for said strings, means for releasing said dampers from engagement with said strings, catclr members secured to said dampers, a damper control member, detent members positioned in response to the actuation of said damper control member in such co-operative relationship with said catch member so that said detent members permit the release of said dampers but prevent the restoration of said released dampers.

6. In a musical instrument of the percussive type, a string, a damper for said string, means for releasing said damper from engagement with said string, a stem on said damper, a spring` catch on said stem, a detent member, spring means for normally holding said detent member in non-co-operative relationship, with said spring catch, a foot pedal, means responsive to the actuation of said foot pedal for positioning said detent member in co-operative relationship with said spring catch so that said detent member permits the release of said damper but prevents the restoration of said released damper.

7. In a musical instrument of the percussive type a plurality of strings, a corresponding plurality of dampers for said springs, a standard damper pedal action, sostenuto means for sustaining the disengagement of any dampers released subsequent to the initial actuation ot said sostenuto means, and means for cooperatively associating either said standard damper pedal action means or said sostenuto means with the operation of the instrument keys.

8. In a musical instrument of the percussive type a plurality of strings, a corresponding plurality of dampers for said strings, a standard damper pedal action means, a sostenuto means for sustaining the disengagement of any dampers released subsequent to the initial actuation of said `sostenuto means, a foot pedal and means for selectively positioning said foot pedal with cooperative relationship With either said standard damper action means o1' said sostenuto means. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, Jn. 

